Chilmark is enjoying a warm and sunny day in November, so peaceful and at rest, on this fierce Tuesday that threatens to change all our lives. How have we come to this? I sort of expect Chilmark to be like this on many more November days and that thought will get me through the real pain of this day. Then again, the optimist in me says cheer up, this is the beginning of the rest of our lives! Let’s make it work.

On another beautiful day earlier this week, Harriette Otteson, Chuck Hodgkinson and myself watched as Jim Morgan of Morgan Stone and Landscape replaced a stone in the stone wall in front of the location of the original town hall built on Bassett’s Hill on Middle Road. The stone now bears a bronze plate explaining that the town hall was built at that location in 1844 and remained there for many years. A photograph of the building with stone wall in front now hangs in town hall. We are all indebted to Harriette Otteson for her hard work and perseverance in marking this location. She is a past chairman of the Chilmark Historical Commission.

We send condolences to the many friends and large family of Marjorie Hancock Phillips, who died on Friday last at her home in Lexington, Va. She had only recently returned to that home after a long summer at her summer home on Larsen Lane. Marjorie was born and raised in Vineyard Haven and had a deep love for her hometown and Island. She will be laid to rest in Vineyard Haven on Saturday, Nov. 28. She is survived by her daughter Susan Weber and her family of Union, Me., her daughter Anne Davey and her family of Vineyard Haven, and her son, Chip, and his family of Richmond, Va. She had fought off a serious illness for a number of years with great calm and determination. Her family and friends will miss her cheerful courage and loving spirit.

Josh Aronie now has the food truck open for luncheon business at the Home Port parking lot from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays.

The Chilmark library is displaying the paintings of Vineyard artist Ed Schuman. His work will be shown during regular library hours through the month of November.

The good news this week is that Bella Flanders Thorpe of Chilmark has earned the opportunity to compete in the 2016 U.S. Dressage Finals. They will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park Nov. 10 through 13. This is a national competition that showcases riders in adult, amateur and open divisions from training level through grand prix. Bella will be riding Reina, the horse of Bella’s trainer, Tracey Amaral Olsen, who is also the owner and manager of Woodbe Farm in West Tisbury. Horse and rider will represent Region 8 at the third training level. The horse will be shipped nearly 1,000 miles in an air-ride equipped trailer in order to keep her as comfortable as possible. This is a big honor for our young Chilmark neighbor and we wish her every success.

Pathways announces that it will be opening again at the Chilmark Tavern for a winter of arts. All are welcome to the first meeting on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. It is planned as a casual drop-in evening for planning activities and shows for the winter months. As always, they will showcase writing and poetry nights and activities for many art forms.

The Chilmark library will host the second affordable housing workshop on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. Please go to mvcommission.org/housing-production-plan for more information. There will be a third workshop on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. at a location to be announced.

Send Chilmark news to slaterjn@comcast.net.